ATP-induced protein-Hsp70 complex dissociation requires K+ but not ATP hydrolysis

The molecular chaperone proteins, particularly Hsp60 and Hsp70, have been implicated in essential cell functions under both normal and stress conditions (reviewed in refs 1-5). Members of the family of heat-shock proteins of M(r) 70K, Hsp70, bind to unfolded proteins and short peptides. Addition of Mg-ATP results in the dissociation of the substrate polypeptides from the chaperone, but as ATP-gamma S (an ATP analogue that is only slowly hydrolysable) cannot substitute for ATP in this reaction, it has been concluded that ATP hydrolysis is necessary to dissociate Hsp70-substrate protein complexes. By independently measuring the rates of ATP hydrolysis and substrate protein dissociation, we show here that Mg-ATP binding but not Mg-ATP hydrolysis is essential for substrate dissociation. We also show that there is an absolute requirement for K+ for the effect of Mg-ATP: only the combination of K+ and Mg-ATP will cause the conformational change in Hsp70 that is necessary for substrate dissociation. Moreover, in the absence of K+, Mg-ATP favours complex formation. We consider these results in terms of a G-protein-like model.